Shine a Little Light: The 124th Hunger Games
by Upright.Dove
Summary: 123 Hunger Games have come and gone. Now another 24 tributes find themselves faced with the horrors that will await them in the arena. Who will survive to claim victory? [SYOT OPEN]
1. Chapter 1

_Smile. Be Bright! Be Peppy!_

Quinta Botterill repeated the mantra over and over in her mind. She had to nail this, had to be perfect. Perfection was what President Teel demanded, what she craved above all else. No one seemed to be one hundred percent certain of what happened to Quinta's predecessor, but not a soul had heard or seen from him in well over a month. And so here was Quinta, for better or worse.

She had wanted to be the host for the Hunger Games since she was little. Back then, it was a steady gig, and a simple one: rev up the people of the capitol, chatter with the announcer, reminisce with Gamemakers, interview the tributes, hobnob with all the important folks. Quinta supposed it would still be much the same, though she hadn't given much thought to the pressure. She wasn't used to this much pressure when she was working. A month ago, she was a weather-girl, for goodness' sake!

But Teel had seen something in her, apparently, and handpicked her for the newly opened position. Quinta evidently was precisely the person that the president was looking for to serve as the face of the Hunger Games. Everything that happened this year, it had been rumored, was a dry-run for next year and the Quarter Quell. Anything that didn't fit perfectly into place would be cast aside. And as shocking as the sudden change had been, Quinta had no intention of being cast aside.

"Ten seconds, Q."

As the director called out, she sat up straight, squared her shoulders, and grinned her brightest smile. She couldn't exactly say if she was ready or not, but it hardly matter, it was now or never.

"People of Panem! Welcome, one and all, to the 124th Hunger Games!"

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_**A/N:**__ Hey all. Decided to give writing a SYOT a shot. It's a bit of a daunting task, but I'm looking forward to it. I'll be allowing up to 3 tributes per person. Please submit via review or via PM with the subject formatted as Tribute Name - District - Gender. The tribute list will mostly be decided by first-come, first-serve, but if I receive multiple submissions for one district, I will consider them all before making a decision. The submission form is currently posted on my profile. UPDATE: I've decided to allow submissions through reviews as well.  
_


	2. Reaping - District One

**District One Reaping**

"Beryl March!"

"I-"

"I volunteer as tribute!"

The sound of Maeven's voice, cutting off the chosen tribute before she had the chance to volunteer, sent a wave of murmurs throughout the crowd. This simply wasn't how things were done. There was a procedure, there were trials, considerations. Maeven certainly wasn't incapable, but the heads of the academies had already decided. Bloom Haverwood was supposed to be their female tribute for this year.

And yet, there was Maeven making her way up to the stage, a smirk on her lips, flicking her long brown braid as she passed by Bloom, who was currently looking sour and uncertain of what she should do. Daphne Stone, District One's escort, also seemed at a loss for what to do. She reached up to lightly finger the strand of pearls hanging around her neck as her eyes darted back and forth between the two girls, until Maeven had appeared on stage at her side. "Well, then..." Daphne began slowly. "What's your name, my dear?"

"Maeven Titus."

"Maeven," The escort chirped, collecting herself and returning to her normally cheery self, "I'm sure Beryl appreciates you taking her place. Citizens of District One and all of Panem, may I present to you your female tribute for the 124th Hunger Games, Maeven Titus! Now, let's see who the lucky boy will be this year!" She turned to the previously untouched glass bowl, plucking a slip from it to read. "Rex Stroman!"

"I volunteer!"

A few sighs of relief came from the crowd as the correct voice rang out from the crowd. At least one of their tributes this year had some sense of proper decorum. A muscular young man made his way to the stage, his dark eyes fixed coldly on Maeven as he passed her. "And your name, young man?" Daphne asked cheerfully.

"Praetor Mason." His voice was held a hint of malice as he spoke, and his eyes were still fixed squarely on Maeven. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. He and Bloom had already started to plan their strategy for the game. Well, _Bloom_ had. She was clever one, but him? He had the killer instincts needed to become a victor, plain and simple. The academy wanted him to win. He wanted to win. And he would. Maybe he'd start on his way by wiping that snide smirk off of Maeven's face.

"District One, Welcome your male tribute for the 124th Hunger Games, Praetor Mason!" Daphne trilled, "Thank you, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Cheers rose up from the crowd, and Daphne began to usher the pair of tributes off the stage and towards the train station.. Her nails dug into Maeven's wrist as she walked with them. If Maeven felt any pain, she didn't show it. "Try not to be so…spontaneous in the future," Daphne hissed into the tribute's ear, "We need to all be on the same page." A moment later she was looking cheerful as ever. "I'm sure you both have plenty of friends that want to give you a fond farewell. Maeven, to your left, Praetor, to the right."

Praetor broke away first, striding over to the room that the escort had pointed out. Barely a moment passed before two figures stepped through – a girl who practically tossed herself at him, pulling him into a deep kiss, and a boy who hung back near the door, clearing his throat after a moment.

"If I knew you were planning on doing that, Marissa, I would've let you go alone," The boy said, prompting the pair to finally break apart.

"What?" Marissa asked, pouting, "He needs the kiss for luck, Achilles."

"Don't need luck," Praetor replied, pressing another kiss to Marissa's neck "But that'll tide me over, until I'm back."

"At least you don't have to worry much about your district partner," Achilles said, leaning against the wall, "She can't be that great, if she had to steal a spot."

"Doesn't matter," Praetor said, "Besides, you didn't and you're still good." _But not as good as me, _He thought.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't exactly inspire confidence if I had to force my way in, does it? Remember what they always told us? Skill is important, but so is support. No one here is going to be behind her, and I'm sure the mentors will make it known that she wasn't our first pick. Get it?"

A smile slowly creeped onto Praetor's lips. "Yeah. I do."

No friends awaited Maeven in her room, not that she was surprised. She didn't need friends, and she preferred to train on her own, late, after most of the other career-hopefuls had left for the day. After she had sunk down onto the red velvet couch, though, she heard a knock on her door, her parents stepping in shortly after. Her father, in his white Peacekeeper's uniform, stood stock still, while her mother sat in one of the chairs that stood on either side of the couch. Tentatively, she reached out and took Maeven's hand.

"We had to hold Haverwood back," Her father began. "Said she wanted to say goodbye to you, but we had our concerns."

"Maybe you should've let her in. You could've let the cameras in, too. Given the Capitol a preview," Maeven suggested, a superior smirk still on her face.

"Try to be serious, Maeven," Her father chided, his brows knitting together. "We can't exactly risk having you hurt before the games. The district's already against you…your mother and I will do what you can for you, though."

Maeven's expression softened for a moment, surprised. "You will?"

"It would be nice," Her mother said, giving her hand a small squeeze, "To see you back here again."

Maeven stared at her parents, dumbfounded. She hadn't known exactly what to expect from them…but that wasn't it.

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A/N: There's our first reaping! I'll probably be switching up exactly what we'll be focusing on from district to district (the reaping itself, the goodbyes, daily life scenes, etc.). There are still plenty of spot open for tributes, so please keep contributing!


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